Bodega Tapas Restaurant

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  8     

I agree the music makes it a bit loud to converse here, but the food and wines were all sensational, and the service is friendly and efficient too. Stand-out dishes were the barramundi and the desserts.

Apr 12, 2012 

7.3 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  7     

We had a good dining experience at this restaurant. The portion size is ok for 2 but not sure with our order of Main - pork dish. It does not have enough meat in it. It has pork fat but no meat. The service was good, staff are friendly but not intrusive. The background music is not loud so you can still talk about your work/life events for the day without shouting at each other.

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Apr 06, 2012 

7.8 Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  6      Service  9      Value  7     

Our night was great. We had delicious food, excellent wine, friendly and efficient service. Perhaps, its because we came early to get a table. If you arrive at a reasonable time it would be a long wait for a table as they don't take bookings.

Tasty piquant marinated eggplant, great pork buns, quail egg with mini muffin was interesting, the special pork main with cream corn was excellent! All washed down with a top rioja tempranillo which was ready to drink being a 2001. Good to see cellared wines on the list. The banana split dessert is not what you would expect. No peeled banana atop icecream here. Its deconstructed delicious with a good mix of bitterness and sweetness, soft and crunchy textures. Excellent sweet sherry to match.

There are few tables for two with most seating communal which is Ok. Only downside was our table for two was near the wall where the air conditioning was drafty and freezing.

Mar 11, 2012 

4 Below Average

Food  5      Ambience  4      Service  3      Value  4     

I went to Bodega with my mum and a close friend this week. When we arrived at Bodega restaurant, we were told off immediately for taking the wrong entry door. Thank god the weather allowed us to sit outside as we wouldn't have been able to conversate inside due to the loud music. My mum went to the toilet (which is unisex!?) and saw a really big spider.

When the calamari arrived it contained gel-like pieces and tasted like rotten bacon. The waiter discussed with the kitchen and took it off the bill. No apologies at all. He was very pushy, asking us every 5 minutes if we were sure not to order more and pooring us water like we were fish on dry land, all quite annoying.

The fried cauliflower salad wasn't great and the chorizo contained way too much fat. The only nice thing about the whole dinner was the wine. As dessert we had the macadamia cookie with icecream which looked like a child had broken the cookie and slapped on bits of I e on a plate.

Feb 22, 2012 

7.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  7     

This is my return to Bodega with a large group of 9.

Overall, the food was very flavoursome and quite delicious. Most of my guests left the table happy with the different flavours they had experienced in the evening. It was a saturday night but the staff appeared to be coping with the crowd. Service was far from exceptional but acceptable.

My banana dessert was divine! The recommendations of wine were interesting and pleasant, as was my cocktail 'dark and stormy'. Yes, you will see me here again.

Feb 20, 2012 

7 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  7     

Bodega is the perfect place to take that someone special for a distinct dinner experience. Pairing wine with food is always a must in my books, as I would only recommend the best. Plan ahead, share a bottle or two of preferred potion and have a splendid night.

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Feb 16, 2012 

7 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  5     

Overall I was pretty impressed with my first visit to Bodega. Arrived at 6pm and there was already a queue outside, but we were still seated at the long shared table in the middle of the room by ten past. Service was a bit slow seeing as they were hit with a room full of people all at once, but the waitress on our table was exceptionally helpful, professional and friendly.

Food and drinks were fantastic. The pork buns were probably the highlight, with the pork belly a close second. Cheese and ham croquettes were about the only only weak link.

$140 for two was starting to push the friendship a bit, but what really leaves a bitter taste is the stingy 3% Amex surcharge. Sorry, but despite the great service, they lost a 10% tip by nickel and diming by passing on a (questionable) credit card surcharge.

Feb 14, 2012 

7.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  7     

Absolutely love this place. Yes it does not take bookings. Just get there before 6pm and you won't have to wait for a table. Best seats are the bar table facing the kitchen.
Love the chicken wings, scallops and kingfish finger. Not a fan of the chorizo as it was quite salty. Will be back soon - looking forward to new tapas on menu!

Feb 08, 2012 

4.8 Average

Food  8      Ambience  3      Service  3      Value  5     

Went for the first time on the weekend as a friend insisted that we go try it out. We arrived at 7pm and was told there was a 2hr wait so we headed off to El Loco Mexican bar/taco place just around the corner to have some cocktails(excellent place and highly recommended). We got a rude phone call from the restaurant to come back as our table was ready but we had to be there in 5 minutes. We skulled our cocktails and made our way back. We sat down at 9pm and by that time the waitress was very cranky and rude.

The food came out ever so slowly that we ended up cancelling 4 dishes that was going to take 20 more minutes to arrive (it was almost 10pm). We had the pork belly, the scallops, sweet pork buns, mushrooms, Chorizo and Cheese croquette. All dishes were beautiful and absolutely divine (albeit very small servings).

The flavours definitely excited the palate, however, I don't think it is worth a 2 hour wait and the I'm too good for you attitude you get from the waitress/staff. The decor was average and the stools inside the restaurant got uncomfortable after 20 minutes.

Feb 06, 2012 

6 Average

Food  5      Ambience  5      Service  8      Value  6     

Been there twice in the last 3 months. The first time was great, but the last dining experience was ok. Service has been consistently good but food wise, I thought it was a let down. We ordered the chorizo again and it was bland and without the harissa I probably won't even eat it. I thought the quality of the other dishes were average.

Nov 24, 2011